College basketball is here. Finally. That’s about enough of an intro, eh? On to the best games of the weekend (all times ET):

BEST CHANGING-DYNAMIC GAME

Maryland vs. No. 3 Kentucky, Friday, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)

This game was supposed to be all about introducing Kentucky’s new crop of insanely talented freshmen on the big stage of Brooklyn’s new Barclays Center. And that’s still part of the equation, but the NCAA’s stunning decision this week to grant immediate eligibility to Maryland’s Dez Wells, a transfer from Xavier, has stolen the spotlight.

The timetable for Maryland to become a national factor jumped up a year with that decision; Wells is a perfect fit for coach Mark Turgeon’s squad. He’s a strong, fearless penetrator from the wing, an ideal complement for shooter Nick Faust. And he’s an established scorer, too, which takes some of the scoring burden away from developing big man Alex Len. Wells brings so much more to the Terps than just the 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds he averaged as a freshman at Xavier last season.

This never was going to be an easy college baptism for the Kentucky newbies—after Maryland, the Wildcats play Duke in Atlanta on Tuesday—but Wells’ presence takes the difficulty level up a notch. It’s quite the welcome to the big time for freshmen Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress, Archie Goodwin and Willie Cauley-Stein plus transfers Ryan Harrow and Julius Mays.

BEST GAME YOU CAN’T WATCH

North Texas at No. 16 Creighton, Friday, 8:05 p.m.

The folks in Omaha who attend this game will have bragging rights. It’s downright criminal that this matchup isn’t being broadcast on television or the Internet. Heck, even a laptop webcam or rigged-up cellphone Skype feed would be great. Creighton, with All-American forward Doug McDermott, is well established on the national stage. North Texas, with star Tony Mitchell—a potential top-10 pick in next June’s NBA Draft—is a dangerous mid-major.

BEST GAME ON A BOAT

The game aboard the decommissioned USS Midway was pushed back from its original Friday date because of iffy weather—in San Diego, of all places. The Orange lost several key pieces from last season, but talented players were waiting in the wings. Guard Michael Carter-Williams, in particular, finally gets his opportunity to play big minutes and could use this game as a steppingstone to national recognition. The Aztecs return four starters from a squad that won 26 games last season—including Jamaal Franklin, SN’s preseason Mountain West Player of the Year—and would love to open with a win against a top-10 foe.

BEST GAME IN GERMANY

No. 14 Michigan State vs. Connecticut, Friday, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Michigan State opened last season with an unforgettable game on the USS Carl Vinson against North Carolina, and coach Tom Izzo is making this season debut memorable, too—his Spartans will play Connecticut in an aircraft hangar at Ramstein Air Force base in Germany. The Huskies are in for a rough season, their first without coach Jim Calhoun since the 1985-86 campaign. His hand-picked successor, Kevin Ollie, has a roster that lacks anything close to the level of talent or depth Huskies fans have become accustomed to the past few decades. Starting this season with a memorable experience like this is a huge plus, though.

HM: Um, there’s only one game in Germany. This year.

BEST CHANCE FOR A 60-POINT MARGIN OF VICTORY

Bryant at No. 1 Indiana, Friday, 8 p.m. (Big Ten Network)

The Hoosiers are loaded and would love nothing better than to begin what’s expected to be a historic season with a thumping. Enter Bryant, a member of the Northeast Conference that was 2-28 last season and doesn’t have a player taller than 6-8 on its roster. That could prove to be a problem against 7-footer Cody Zeller, who is SN’s preseason Player of the Year.

BEST POINT GUARD SHOWDOWN

Lehigh at No. 19 Baylor, Friday, 5 p.m. (Fox Sports Net)

On a Baylor team full of future NBA forwards, point guard Pierre Jackson was the unquestioned leader of last year’s team. This season, he’s a candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum is an NBA-ready scorer, but he came back for his senior season, in part, to learn to be a better point guard. Be assured he’ll learn a thing or two about the position from Jackson.

BEST SATURDAY GAME

Evansville at No. 22 Notre Dame, Saturday, 2 p.m.

We’re not saying Notre Dame is a veteran team, but the average age of the Irish starters is 25.3 years old. OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but the Irish do return five starters—including Scott Martin, who turned 24 in October. Evansville is one of a handful of teams in the Missouri Valley Conference that could challenge Creighton’s supremacy; senior guard Colt Ryan averaged 20.5 points per game last season and poured in 29 or more seven times. The Irish can’t afford to let him get hot beyond the arc.

BEST COACHING DEBUT

Loyola Marymount at SMU, Sunday, 7 p.m.

Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown is back on the sidelines, and he’s taken on quite the challenge at SMU. The Mustangs, who have had just one winning season since 2002-03, are heading to the Big East next season, but the Conference USA schedule will be tough enough for a depleted roster. Loyola Marymount point guard Anthony Ireland, who averaged 16.1 points and 4.9 assists last season, will give Brown first-game fits.